The K-6 Literacy Norms provide guidance on how to structure the literacy block.  The literacy norms are built upon a foundation of ensuring that all students engage with grade-level (or beyond) standards, skills, texts, and tasks through the full gradual release model during a 90 minute literacy block (which includes interactive read aloud, shared reading, and core application).

(If you want the full K-4 Norms, see this document)

The report card support document lists the current power standards for each grade level and when each standard is officially reported.  Students should have received sufficient core instruction and application prior to this reporting date to realistically expect mastery.  Standards with a * in a reporting period are taught during that semester but not to the level of mastery. 

The Phonics Instruction Planning, Observation, and Reflection tool is designed to support teachers in planning and implementing research-based instructional moves in an effort to support students' decoding abilities.  It includes activating students' phonological processor, explicit instruction of the phonics pattern, decoding/ encoding, effective use of gradual release, and application in connected text. Strategies/ tips for scaffolding phonics instruction can be found in this supporting document.

The Comprehension Instruction Planning, Observation, and Reflection tool is designed to support teachers in planning and implementing research-based instructional moves in an effort to support students' comprehension abilities.  It includes planning for use of complex text, building background knowledge, vocabulary, explicit instruction (comprehension strategies, close reading, text structure, Iowa Core standards, etc.), effective use of gradual release, independent application, and connections to writing. Strategies/ tips for scaffolding comprehension instruction can be found in this supporting document.

This document synthesizes the research our district has done over the past several years regarding effective instructional moves when it comes to phonological awareness, phonics, sight words, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension instruction.  It was the foundation for the phonics and comprehension tools linked above.

This document helps to unpack the language of all ELA standards.  The vertical progression is clearly outline (with the underlined words/ phrases being the new content at each grade level).  Further clarification is provided through a brief commentary on each standard.